Being A Specialist

Guy Kawasaki interviews
author and career columnist
Penelope Trunk.

What interested me was
her stance on being a specialist
vs being a generalist.

She says
“In Hollywood,
the best way to get your pick
of any role in the industry
is to become a specialist
funny guy, tough girl, action hero
get known for being the best at something,
and then use that star-power to branch out.
The same is true in business.”

That is exactly what I did.
I took my base in accounting
and wedged myself into
marketing meetings,
sales meetings,
and eventually
new business development meetings.

This tactic works.
Surprisingly, it is rarely used.